Large Groups of Happy People

IMed with a colleague yesterday who is at a business retreat. They had to detail their business ideas to the facilitator and one idea that my buddy was not hugely hot on caused the facilitator to say ‘OH MY GOD THAT IS GREAT YOU HAVE TO DO THAT!’
I am always suspicious of large groups of happy people just like I am at fundraisers where rich people applaud themselves more than the cause they are supposedly helping (Bono, I’m looking at you). When someone gets a bit too overboard emotionally about something you are working on I wonder why they are so damned happy for me? If this is a true friend/colleague I’m not suspicious but if it is soemone I don’t know well in a public setting I’m also leery/weary.
But I’m from the humble Midwest where our other favorite past-time (besides heart-crushing obesity and a commitment to pillaging the people of Appalachia) is a commitment to xenophobia and suspicion. 🙂

Andy is an award-winning blogger and author of the book Blogwild! A Guide for Small Business Blogging. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Entrepreneur, Wired, Business Week, Forbes, and other national and international media. He was worked at several San Francisco startups including Typepad, Get Satisfaction, SInMobi, Keas, and Mindjet. Currently, Andy is Director of Marketing at Lucidworks.
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3 thoughts on “Large Groups of Happy People”

The important thing is a commitment to honesty. If we’re evaluating something honestly and responsibly, it won’t be entirely positive or negative.
Any time someone is overzealous one way or the other, they’re generally off the mark. Every idea isn’t incredible, wonderful, or amazing and to pretend that they are does a disservice to that idea and the person who espouses it.
It’s an odd thing that curbing enthusiasm is an effective way to see an idea become reality. Being honest and realistic tends to be a bit less obnoxious, too.

I know I distrust people who are too Pollyanna-ish, too, but I thought it was because I’m from New York (okay, New Jersey…same diff). I also distrust people who make exaggerated claims – at least what seems to me to be too bloated for truth.
But it does take all kinds, and some people are more predisposed to be happy-makers. I separate them from those I get the sense are desperately trying to make things seem better than they are.
All with a grain of salt. And not too much sugar.